Summary
Tamlin’s redemption arc inA Court of Thorns and Rosesis inevitable at this point, but there’s one angle it absolutely has to avoid to get readers back on board with him as a character. The High Lord of the Spring Court went from hero and romantic interest to villain and loathed ex-fiancé in record time. It was clear early on, even before Feyre had to visit the Night Court once a month to fulfill her bargain made Under the Mountain, that she’d end up with Rhysand, and not theold before his time Tamlin. When she finally left the Spring Court and officially broke off her engagement with Tamlin,his reaction was startling in its intensity.
Even the most sympathetic reader has had a hard time understandingTamlin’s actions post-Under the Mountain, much less condoning them. He was problematic for the last few months of his relationship with Feyre, but while he handled it poorly, it was at least understandable. Selling out Elain and Nesta to the King of Hybern in his desire to reclaim Feyre as if she were a prize to be returned to him, however, was unforgivable. It’s exactly that overreaction that dictatesTamlin’sACOTARredemption arc.
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A Court Of Thorns & Roses Should Avoid 1 Mistake When It Comes To Tamlin’s Redemption
Tamlin Has Issues With How He Views Women, Whether He Realizes It Or Not
Tamlin will certainly get some sort of redemption arc in the next book or two; even if his redemption arc won’t be fully complete by the end of the next book,he’ll likely start the process of regaining his place in Prythian and as the High Lord of the Spring Court.He’s been all but useless since the second book; the only times he’s stopped being feral in the woods long enough to surface in society, it’s been to be utterly nasty and awful to Feyre. That is not okay, and it shows that Tamlin has to reframe the way he views women – anything less is unacceptable.
That is not okay, and it shows that Tamlin has to reframe the way he views women – anything less is unacceptable.
That’s why, if Tamlin gets a redemption arc, it should not be centered on romance or involve romance of any kind. Romance is wonderful, and it’s exactly what one would expect to be the catalyst for the long road back to redemption in a romantic series. Still, it’s become a lazy trope in the romance and romantasy genres that it’s only through romantic love or a new relationship that a character evolves, and only for that other person do they change. At best, it’s overused and uninspired,and at worst, it’s a toxic cliché.Sarah J. Maas would do well to steer clear of using it for Tamlin, for a few reasons.
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Why Tamlin’s Redemption Story Shouldn’t Center Romance
His Relationship With Romance Isn’t Healthy
Redemption or not,Tamlin shouldn’t have a new romance for a while– not until he sorts through his issues and takes accountability for his fractured mental state. It’s not Tamlin’s fault that he endured what he did Under the Mountain at the hands of Amarantha, just as it’s not his fault that he had acute, compound PTSD after he emerged. It’s arguably not even – completely, anyway – his fault that he responded by becoming paranoid and so fearful for Feyre’s life that he turned her into a captive. In his mind, he was protecting her – and to be fair, Feyre never truly advocated for herself and made it clear she would not stand for his treatment. They were both broken people muddling through the best they could.
Everything he did after that, however,is unforgivable as it was a conscious decision on his part.Tamlin was so broken about Feyre leaving him that he chose to start down the dark path toward villainy. That is in no way a healthy relationship with romance, nor would it be healthy to believe another person could magically fix him. Heartbreak can be brutal. and from how the Fae are written in theACOTARbooks, they arguably feel things even more intensely than humans – and that’s even before factoring inSarah J. Maas' questionable mate trope. Still, people with a balanced perspective do not turn to being monsters after a breakup, not even after being left at the altar.
That is in no way a healthy relationship with romance, nor would it be healthy to believe another person could magically fix him.
Everyone has left Tamlin for a reason, even Lucien and Alis, his most loyal friends. They have recognized what Tamlin still hasn’t at this point inA Court of Thorns and Roses: he’s too far gone to his misery and his madness. It’s a brutal lesson to learn, but they understand that they can’t help him now; he must want to help himself. The only way for Tamlin to truly grow and find redemption is if he does just that.It’s up to him to climb out of his hole.Until he does, any relationship he has will be just as toxic as the one he had with Feyre after Amarantha. If that were to happen, his redemption arc would be no real redemption at all.
